Red Raiders football notebook for Oct. 29

No offense taken

Texas Tech could be without Dartwan Bush for another week as he recovers from an injury.

No offense taken

Texas Tech coaches and players said Monday they don’t begrudge Oklahoma its spirited celebration at the end of the Sooners’ 38-30 victory Saturday.

In what’s become a common scene in the series lately, the winning team began dancing to House of Pain’s “Jump Around” that blared over the stadium speakers. Quite a few fans did, too. The music and dancing broke out after OU got a fourth-down stop with 39 seconds left, then took a knee to run out the clock.

Tech defensive end Branden Jackson said it wasn’t out of line.

“I mean, they were excited,” Jackson said. “It was a hard-fought game. We’d have been excited if we had won also. But the environment was ridiculous and the fans were in it the entire game. So hearing them and seeing them react the way they did is just a testament that we put them through something they weren’t expecting, and it was a great game. Who wouldn’t be excited?”

It was the third time in the last few meetings that “Jump Around” has signaled one team’s knockout of the other. In the 2008 game at Norman, Okla., the playing of the song touched off a wild celebration — and that was when it was 42-7 late in the first half. The Sooners went on to win 65-21.

The next year, the Jones AT&T Stadium speakers blared “Jump Around” — and the Red Raiders did — when they took a four-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter of a 41-13 conquest of OU.

The celebration didn’t bother Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury.

“That’s cool,” Kingsbury said. “I think it’s a cool atmosphere. They were excited, fired up about the win, which they should be. It was a good football game and great atmosphere, and so my hat’s off to them.”

Bush doubtful

Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury seldom gives very detailed information regarding injuries and time frames for player returns, but he indicated on Monday that defensive lineman Dartwan Bush is doubtful for this week.

Bush suffered a sprained knee in the Oct. 12 game against Iowa State and has missed the last two games. The Red Raiders could have used him Saturday against Oklahoma, whose 526 yards with 277 rushing were season highs against Tech.

“He would help,” Kingsbury said. “He’s a very talented player. His senior leadership. ... Not sure about this week, but maybe for those last three.”

Kingsbury said Bush did not practice last week, working only on rehabilitation.

Brewer update

Ever since Michael Brewer made a brief appearance three weeks ago, playing two series against Kansas, some have anticipated more playing time for the sophomore quarterback.

Not only has it not happened, but Davis Webb will start his fourth game in a row this week, and Webb and Baker Mayfield have taken the first- and second-team snaps in pre-game warmup.

Kingsbury was asked Monday if Brewer, who missed nearly all the August and September practices with a back injury, is fully available.

“That’s a tough question,” Kingsbury said, “because fully available means, can he roll out there and play right away? He missed a lot of football, so he’s still working on his game and getting back into football shape and things of that nature, but health-wise we feel pretty good about putting him in a game.”

Kingsbury made it clear that he can put Brewer in; he’s just behind the others right now.

“Physically, we feel good about him, yeah,” Kingsbury said. “We’ve just got to get him caught up in some areas.”

Though it’s not really a question anymore, Kingsbury said Webb will start on Saturday against Oklahoma State.

“He’s earned that with his play the last few weeks,” Kingsbury said.

Another early start

Texas Tech’s Nov. 9 home finale against Kansas State on Monday was set for the 11 a.m. time slot on ABC. It will be the Red Raiders’ fourth 11 a.m. kickoff in a span of six games.

What happened?

Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said the fault for quarterback Davis Webb’s first interception in the loss Saturday was on Webb. On a first-and-10 from the Oklahoma 40-yard line, Webb airmailed a deep ball over flanker Bradley Marquez, and cornerback Aaron Colvin intercepted.

Marquez appeared to slow his route, perhaps expecting Webb to throw shorter.

Asked if Marquez was in the wrong spot, Kingsbury said, “No, Davis was just fired up and taking a shot. But that’s not exactly where we wanted it to go. We had some other options on that play. He was just fired up, going for the gusto, but that wasn’t really the correct throw at that time.”

Kingsbury said Tech had “a couple of guys running pretty open” had Webb checked down to a shorter route.

Homecoming anyone?

Six Texas Tech exes are with NFL teams who have open dates this weekend, so the possibility exists the Red Raiders could have some famous faces on the premises for Saturday’s game against Oklahoma State.

None are certainties to show up, though.

“I don’t know,” Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “I haven’t talked to any of them, but that would be cool if a couple of them came back.”

Among the former Red Raiders on bye weeks this week are offensive linemen LaAdrian Waddle and Dylan Gandy with the Detroit Lions, receiver Wes Welker and linemen Louis Vasquez and Manny Ramirez with the Denver Broncos and wide receiver Michael Crabtree with the San Francisco 49ers.

Waddle, who made the Lions this year as a rookie free agent, made his first NFL start Sunday in Detroit’s 31-30 victory over the Dallas Cowboys and played all but one offensive snap.

In brief

At the end of the day Monday, a Tech official said 700 tickets remain for Saturday’s game against Oklahoma State.

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